Assessments

Leaders, Want to Excel Fast? Be Coachable!

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Coachability is critical in any position, especially for those in leadership!

Yet, many leaders will say they’re coachable. But when someone offers feedback, an opinion, or observation, the feedback (and person offering it) is often shut down.

  • “I’m not interested.”
  • “I didn’t ask for your input.”
  • “Nobody else said that.”

For leaders, this is dangerous. When you’re not coachable, performance stalls, teams disengage, and results suffer.

What Are You Afraid of Hearing?

These fears show up in everyday leadership behaviors, often without leaders realizing it.

You fear:

  • Being seen as incompetent. You avoid feedback, over-control decisions, and shut down conversations that might expose gaps.
  • Being an imposter. You rely on bravado, hesitate to collaborate, or over‑prepare to avoid being “found out.”
  • Looking imperfect. You hide mistakes, blame others, and resist learning new approaches.
  • Others’ opinions about you. You delay decisions, avoid tough conversations, and sidestep accountability.
  • Hearing the truth and being offended. You react defensively, shutting down honest dialogue and discouraging team input.

How This Impedes Your Success

  • Blind spots. When you reject feedback, blind spots become performance barriers that derail results.
  • Poor job fit. Misaligned leaders create chaos and turnover, while stalling initiatives.
  • Everyone makes mistakes and experiences failures. Uncoachable leaders repeat errors and blame others.
  • Resilience, flexibility, initiative are ignored. These traits collapse when leaders resist input and cling to outdated approaches.

Many times, leaders who are not coachable know they are not a good fit with the job duties, or lack the skills required and are afraid to say, “I need help!”

One man was upset he wasn’t considered for a manager position. His personality made it difficult for others to work with him. Instead of asking how to improve, he stated, “I should have had that job.” When someone offered advice, he’d shut them down by saying, “I’ve already done that.”

His lack of coachability didn’t just cost him the promotion, it damaged trust, reinforced his blind spots, and confirmed he wasn’t ready to lead others.

Everyone Makes Mistakes. Are You Able to Handle Yours?

This is the real test of leadership. Coachable leaders own mistakes and failures. They learn quickly, and move forward. Uncoachable leaders defend, deny, or deflect — and their teams notice.

Seven Ways to Fast‑Track Your Leadership Success

1.Job Fit. Learn about your blind spots by taking a PXT Select® assessment. It provides objective data and insights into who you are and why you do what you do.

  • Do you talk a lot and fail to listen? Highly Sociable leaders struggle with that.
  • Do you insist your way is the only right way? Highly Assertive leaders often do.
  • Are you often in a hurry and lack patience? Highly Energetic leaders exhibit impatience.

Can you imagine working with someone with all three traits? Any or all of these can be difficult for many team members.

Remember, your personality traits normally don’t change; but being coachable helps you use these traits effectively and to your advantage.

  1. Get Your Brag On. Most leaders have never taken an inventory of their accomplishments, results, and impacts. This exercise builds confidence, strengthens decision‑making, and helps you communicate your value. Keep it updated and review, especially on tough days.
  2. Hire a Coach and Choose a Mentor. Hire an external executive coach who is a vault (someone who doesn’t talk about you to others). Select one or two industry/company mentors. Meet regularly and follow through on their advice.

Years ago, as a new entrepreneur, I remember working with a mentor who was also a business owner. She was great. When she recommended certain approaches or processes, I followed them and excelled. When I asked why she gave me the time she did, she said, “Because you are coachable and follow-through. Most do not; thinking they already know it all. It’s why they’ve failed.”

  1. Take Workshops and Participate. Stop thinking you already know it all or are waiting to figure it all out on your own. Face‑to‑face (in person or on screen) learning builds diplomacy, candor, and executive presence. Leaders who fail to participate don’t avoid looking bad, they create it.
  2. Listen to Videos and Podcasts. Many are well‑done and provide insights into leadership, communication, and accountability. Use them to expand your thinking and stay current. Again, use these new skills and work with your coach to ensure you’re using them effectively.
  3. Listen. Silence. Presence. These three often overlooked communication traits, elevate your leadership and effectiveness. A strong coach will help you master them, especially when you forget to use them.
  4. Project Management. This is where many leaders fail. You may have great ideas but poor follow‑through. Or you may excel at details but struggle with alternatives and moving the project forward (aka perfection, which is a myth). Execution requires alignment and keeping the team in action every step of the way.

Final Leadership Takeaway

If you want to fast‑track your leadership success, address these seven points by getting into focused action. Mastery takes time and coachability accelerates everything.

©Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 34 years of experience activating greatness in leaders and companies. She delivers practical coaching and solutions that elevate performance today, build legacies that stand the test of time, and support people in empowering themselves to lead with clarity and impact.

When You Make Hiring Mistakes, It’s Very Costly!

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Can you relate to one or more of these stories?

  • A CEO knew within six months he’d hired the wrong person. Instead of addressing the issue, he built systems to work around the person’s poor job fit. Customers and top talent left.
  • A company rehired three previous employees who had left. Two of them were fired after a couple of months. The other is currently blaming customer service staff for loss of customers.
  • A company’s VP and CEO had been talking with a job candidate for six months. When they learned he was not a good fit for the manager job, they hired him anyway since they had already invested so much time. He was fired 60 days later.
  • A company thought it was ahead of the industry curve by relying on AI for hiring advice. The problem? AI cannot deep dive into concerns, and is not defensible in a court of law.

Every company likes to think they are doing the best they can. Their leaders tell themselves they’re doing everything right: interview questions, assessments, due diligence, and hiring teams. So why does it still go so very wrong?

Weak Selection Practices Let Candidates Control the Narrative

Interviewing Fails to Uncover the Truth

People are poor lie detectors. To determine who to interview, we rely on resumes (over 90% contain inaccuracies and are written by AI). Then, to make matters worse, we fail to ask job-related questions and probe for specifics. Many interviewers rely on intuition, body language, and other subjective methods that are influenced by bias and provide no defensible hiring data.

Candidates know this. They rehearse polished answers, mirror the interviewer’s values, and present stories that sound impressive but reveal little about actual performance. Without probing for specific actions, decisions, and results, interviewers miss exaggerations and false claims about accomplishments, leadership responsibilities, and contributions.

Inappropriate Assessments Fail to Verify Job Fit and Capability

Many companies rely on assessments that lack the validity and reliability required for selection decisions (hiring, job promotions, and job transitions). As a result, candidates can easily present themselves as more capable than they actually are.

Many candidates exaggerate technical expertise, leadership skills, or job-related experience. Others answer assessments based on what they believe the employer wants to hear. Without using validated and reliable assessments, job simulations, and skill verification, employers have no objective way to distinguish genuine capability from self-promotion.

Incomplete Due Diligence Fails to Confirm the Facts

Candidate dishonesty is one of the biggest reasons organizations hire the wrong people. Yet many employers fail to verify employment history, credentials, certifications, references, and reported accomplishments.

Candidates exploit these gaps. Some fabricate employers, degrees, certifications, or job titles. Others inflate accomplishments, conceal failures, and disguise job-hopping by rewriting their work history. Some simply overestimate their abilities and focus on getting the offer rather than determining whether the role is the right fit. When hiring managers become excited about a candidate and skip proper verification, misrepresentations often remain hidden until after the hiring decision has been made.

How Do These Hiring Mistakes Impact You as a business leader, entrepreneur, and boss?

  • Leaders feel duped. Bad hires create simmering resentment because leaders feel duped, misled, or forced to clean up messes they didn’t create. This upset and frustration often leaks into conversations, decisions, and team dynamics.
  • Employees no longer feel safe. They worry mistakes will be blamed on them or that leadership won’t protect them (psychological safety) when they feel uncomfortable with new team members failing to learn the company’s systems and practices.
  • Frustration and sleepless nights. Leaders lie awake replaying interviews, questioning their judgment, and worrying about how to fix the fallout. They fear letting the person go, especially if the person is well-liked but incompetent.
  • Loss of customers. Poor job fit shows up fast: missed deadlines, sloppy work, bad interactions, and broken promises. The new employee blames the company systems and products for customers leaving. But customers don’t care why it happened … they simply leave.
  • Broken systems and slow processes. When someone can’t do the job, everyone else compensates. Workarounds multiply. Processes slow down. Systems stop working as designed. Silos and factions get created and customers leave.
  • Loss of revenues, results, and retention. All bad hires drain money: rework, turnover, mediocrity, customer churn, stalled projects, and missed opportunities. Top talent leaves because they’re tired of carrying the load … and the blame.

How many times have you hired “the best person,” only to realize, shortly after they start the job, that you made another mistake?

Let’s Get Real

I’ve been saying this for more than 34 years: most companies are still hiring people who do not fit the job duties. This is due to the company’s poor hiring practices! It’s expensive to the company and demoralizing to great employees who are tired of carrying the load to cover up the mistakes.

How Do You Transform hiring, job promotion, and job transitioning practices into great selection decisions?

Create a structured strategic selection process. Hiring isn’t easy or fun. Work with an experienced talent advisor who has actually hired and fired people, and understands the cost of mistakes. Create a system and follow it! Once it starts working DON’T STOP!  A VP had great results making a new hire under the new hiring process; but quickly reverted back to her old ways (subjective hiring) with bad results, citing the new system took too much time. It hadn’t occurred to her that working with a bad employee actually cost significantly more time, money, customers, and good employees.

Conduct annual training for hiring bosses. Especially for leaders who hire infrequently or rely on social media “tips and tricks.” (“Hire Amazing Employees: How to Increase Retention, Revenues and Results!”) Now, hold all hiring bosses accountable for their hiring results.

Create job‑focused interview questions. Skip the cutesy questions which are indefensible (e.g., “Tell me about your favorite book or movie.” “What is your favorite animal or color.”) Use questions that uncover real job fit. Don’t be afraid to deep-dive into their responses to ascertain the level of skills they have for the job. (Hire Amazing Employees: How to Increase Retention, Revenues and Results! As one employment attorney said: “The cost of this book is worth the interview and reference checking questions!”)

Use qualified job‑fit and honesty/integrity assessments. Over 95% of assessments do not comply with Department of Labor guidelines for pre‑employment, job promotion, and job transitioning use. (Hire Amazing Employees, Ch. 9) Get real and use the right tool for incredible results!

Conduct real due diligence. Background checks, employment and education verifications, honesty/integrity assessments, and reference checks matter … especially now with so many people seeking jobs and using AI. (Hire Amazing Employees, Part 3, Ch. 16–17)

Job offer letters with due dates. If someone needs more than a couple of days to decide, move on. “I want to think about it” usually means they’re waiting for a counteroffer and those never work out well for the current and future employers. (Hire Amazing Employees, Ch. 18–19)

Onboard with intention. Most companies do this poorly; I’m not surprised when new top talent leaves. Create a 180‑Day Success Plan and follow it with all new hires, job promotions, and job transitions. (Hire Amazing Employees, Ch. 6 & 20)

Hiring, job promotions, and job transitions may sound easy. But getting the right person in the right job is not! As you move through Q4 and into 2027, commit to improving your selection process using real tools and best practices. It directly impacts your profitability and your credibility. Now, hold the hiring bosses accountable for their hiring results!

© Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 34 years of experience activating greatness in leaders and companies. She delivers practical coaching and solutions that elevate performance today, build legacies that stand the test of time, and support people in empowering themselves to lead with clarity and impact.

Only Quit When You’re Clear as to Why

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Which one of these examples below have you experienced? If you’re like most people, you’ve experienced both.

Quitting Too Soon

Maria launched a client‑retention project with excitement and fresh ideas. But once the novelty faded and the repetitive (sometimes boring) work began, she felt stuck and invisible. One exhausting afternoon, she gave in to the urge to quit and stopped the project.

Two months later, leadership praised a nearly identical initiative completed by someone else. Maria realized she hadn’t quit because it was wrong; she quit because she was tired. The cost wasn’t just the project it was her credibility and missed opportunity.

Staying the Course

David led a cross‑department initiative that dragged on for months. The meetings were repetitive, progress slow, and the “newness” long gone. He felt the same urge to quit but instead, he paused, got coaching, and took one small step each week. He kept a visual reminder of the goal on his desk to stay grounded in the “why.”

Six months later, the project became a company model, and David was tapped to lead a strategic effort. His success didn’t come from constant momentum. It came from staying in action long enough to finish.

Many of us succumb when we’ve been doing the same thing for too long. We slip into a fog, hoping sleep will fix it. We feel the urge to quit and say, “Oh, well. It wasn’t meant to be.”

But remember: an urge to quit is a feeling; quitting is a decision. Feelings pass. Decisions have consequences.

We often forget the energy and excitement we had when the idea or project was new. As time moves on, the details we once ignored now feel heavy. The process becomes repetitive and boring. We get tired of doing the same thing day after day with no visible results.

Motivation spikes when something is new because dopamine rewards novelty, but long‑term achievement comes from the brain’s slower, steadier systems that support focus and persistence. This is when real progress happens through repetition and consistent action over time.

What Causes These Urges to Quit?

  • Being too hard on yourself. Unrealistic expectations drain motivation.
  • Repetitive processes. Monotony kills momentum.
  • The “newness” wears off.
  • Comparing yourself to others. Progress envy is real.
  • Emotional disengagement creeps in quietly.
  • Being uncoachable. Resisting feedback stalls growth.
  • Believing you already know the answers. Certainty often becomes a blind spot.
  • Wanting to hide or shut down. The couch and TV becomes a tempting escape.

Many times, you’re closer to the goal than you can imagine. It’s often the process or lack of coachability that gets in the way.

What Helps and Allows You to Refocus on “Why?”

  • Stop Pursuing the Forcing. Slow down. One step at a time. Sometimes self‑care (aka rest) is the fuel you need to continue.
  • Take a Break. A pause is not quitting. It’s recalibration.
  • Keep the goal visible. A picture on your mirror or a mental image keeps the “why” alive.
  • Decide what you can do right now. When rested, look at what’s next, what was overlooked, and what’s unnecessary or time‑consuming. (Use the “What Worked? / What Didn’t Work?” exercise found in Chapter 20, Get Your Brag On!)

When Should You Quit?

If it’s harming your physical or mental health, it’s time to stop. Health is non‑negotiable.

When Should You Decide?

  • Not today. Never decide when you’re in the “urge to quit” moment.
  • Name what you’re tired of. Clarity reduces overwhelm.
  • Get the coaching. Outside perspective breaks stuck patterns.
  • Take one small step. It’s not about immediate results, it’s about staying in action.

Your urge to quit is a feeling, which is not a reliable judge. It shows up in the middle of any long process and usually right after the “newness” fades.

If you decide to quit, do it when you’re clear it’s the right choice. Because once you quit, you may not be able to resume later … especially in roles where trust and consistency matter.

“You’re closer than you think. Stay in the game long enough to win it.” Jeannette Seibly

Leadership coaching and tools like PXT Select® help leaders separate the emotional urge to quit from a clear, grounded decision by providing perspective, accountability, and objective data about strengths and blind spots—supporting leaders to stay in action long enough to achieve the results that matter.

©Jeannette Seibly 2026

Jeannette Seibly is a legacy‑driven Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author. For over 34 years, she has empowered thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve sustainable success through strategic hiring, values‑based coaching, and intentional leadership development. Her work blends clarity, accountability, and soulful impact—activating performance and purpose at every level.

 

When Leaders Create Self-Limiting Career Ceilings

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Legacy leaders rarely realize they’re the ones capping their own careers. Self-limiting career ceilings don’t appear overnight. They form through repeated behaviors and mindset habits:

  • Undermine colleagues, projects, and people
  • Avoid tough conversations
  • React emotionally to decisions or others’ conversations (e.g., easily offended)
  • Wait for permission to take initiative
  • Don’t ask for help
  • Fail to develop resourcefulness
  • Participate in factional and silo behaviors
  • Fail to manage reputation or abuse bragging rights
  • Think and act as the smartest person in the conversation
  • Gossip about someone they dislike
  • Become a leadership liability (e.g., lack of filter, inability to keep confidences)
  • Fail to rebuild trust after a political misstep, mistake, or project failure
  • Fail to lead and support people they don’t like
  • Experience high turnover due to poor hiring, job promoting, and job transitioning practices

Legacy leaders see these patterns early and take action to stop them before they become a self-limiting career ceiling.

While discrimination, ageism, and other biases do exist, the savvy business leader doesn’t blame politics, favoritism, timing, or “the wrong people” getting promoted. They get the help and insight needed to correct their leadership blind spots and create their next steps forward.

When these, or other limiting behaviors and mindsets occur, it’s time to recognize that you’re limiting your future before it’s too late.

Get Started Now

The longer you wait the harder it will be to transform poor leadership habits. Blind spots are the biggest contributors to self-limiting ceilings. An executive coach and a PXT Select® assessment reveal:

  • Derailers under stress
  • Reputation gaps
  • Behavioral and thinking patterns that limit advancement
  • Strengths you’re underutilizing
  • The ‘why’ behind your behaviors … and the ‘why’ behind others’ behaviors

Savvy legacy leaders use data, not emotion, to guide their growth. They take actions consistent with developing their leadership and learn how to work with and through others to achieve intended results.

Remember, your career ceiling is self-created and determined by how you behave when you feel overlooked or disappointed. Hiring an experienced executive coach fast-tracks opportunities for you to rise with professional maturity, discipline, and strategic leadership. While you may need to find a different employer to excel, you will be ready for the challenge due to the work you’ve done.

Now go get the help you need (yes, you will need help). And then, allow it to happen!

©Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a legacy‑driven Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author. For over 34 years, she has empowered thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve sustainable success through strategic hiring, values‑based coaching, and intentional leadership development. Her work blends clarity, accountability, and soulful impact—activating performance and purpose at every level.

How Do You Bridge Communication Gaps and Create Positive Results?

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Leaders often wait for a miracle to get the team on the same page. Yet, unfortunately, it rarely happens without the directed effort of the leader.

In an article, Are Your Relationships Working? I mentioned “Bridge Communication Gaps” as one of the essential tips for building good and effective working relationships.

Yet, many leaders are perplexed about how to do this in today’s workplace due to diversity, remote work options, and differences of opinion.

5 Essential Ways to Bridge Communication Gaps between Teams and Results

Appreciate Differences … Where Do I Start? You start by using a qualified job fit assessment that provides objective information (not the type of assessment that shows how people want to be seen). For many years, I’ve used the granddaddy of objective job-fit assessment products: PXT Select.

Example: When team members (and business partners, boss/employee) are in conflict, I use it to provide an objective review of what’s working and where the communication problems exist. Everyone thinks they know the answers. But 99% of the time, there are surprises. This process and the knowledge you gain can build comradery and resolve misperceptions.   

Get Everyone on the Same Page. Share the goal, budget, and deadline with the team and allow them to contribute their ideas, thoughts, and opinions. Yes, this often requires training for you and the team on developing and using the skills necessary to communicate, create strategies, and execute results.

Include Everyone’s Ideas. It doesn’t mean all of their ideas are viable and will be used. But when everyone’s ideas are heard and acknowledged, they feel respected and valued. This closes many communication gaps while building positive working relationships.

Brainstorm for Solutions. The same mindset that created the problem will not solve the issue. It requires listening outside the norm and allowing new, off-the-wall ideas to take hold. It will require setting aside egos and judging what is or is not a good idea. Encourage everyone to construct the solution by asking questions for clarification.

Celebrate the Wins and Learn from the Failures. This is critical and often overlooked. Complete an exercise of What Worked? / What Didn’t Work? for each and every project. (For details, Get Your Brag On!, Chapter 20.) This  type of objective review is also a great way to get unstuck in a project, acknowledge the team, and fully appreciate their efforts.

©Jeannette Seibly 2023 -2026 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 34 years of experience activating greatness in leaders and companies. She delivers practical coaching and solutions that elevate performance today, build legacies that stand the test of time, and support people in empowering themselves to lead with clarity and impact.

 

How to Improve an Underperforming Remote Team Member

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Remote work has expanded flexibility and reduced costs. But it has also exposed personal and professional challenges leaders must address when a remote team member is underperforming. When the employee’s performance declines, the issue must be addressed quickly, clearly, and professionally—while recognizing that there may be outside influences and other obstacles contributing to the problem.

It can be difficult if you’re a leader who relies on “seeing” issues, instead of “hearing what is not said.”  Or, you fail to manage by a work plan with defined goals. Many underperforming employees may not see the impact that their home work environment has on their productivity.

Remember, performance issues don’t resolve themselves. They compound. And they impact customers, team members, and business outcomes. Entrepreneurial leaders bring courage, clarity, and accountability to the conversation.

Why Remote Employees Can Underperform

  • Unclear Expectations. The employee may not fully understand deliverables, timelines, or quality standards. Leaders often assume clarity when none exists.
  • Home Environment Disruptions. Noise, unsafe surroundings, intrusive neighbors, unstable internet, or lack of a dedicated workspace can derail productivity.
  • Caregiver Responsibilities. Elder care, child care, medical appointments, or emergencies can interfere with schedules and concentration.
  • Poor Job Fit. The employee may not have the skills, temperament, or interest required for remote work, even if they were previously successful onsite.
  • Lack of Accountability. Without structure, deadlines, or regular check‑ins, some employees drift or prioritize personal issues over work.
  • Emotional Stress or Overwhelm. Personal crises, burnout, or chronic stress reduce motivation and follow‑through.
  • Avoidance or Fear. Employees may avoid tasks they find difficult or fear making mistakes, leading to delays and incomplete work. They fail to ask for help.
  • Poor Integrity. The employee may engage in activities that are not conducive to being a good neighbor (e.g., excessive vaping or smoking while working, participation in illegal activities). These reduce the employee’s attention to detail and availability to talk with customers.

These factors cannot be ignored or left unmanaged.

The Leadership Balancing Act

Entrepreneurial leaders must balance accountability with empathy. The goal is a win‑win‑win: for the employee, the team, and the business.

  • Have intentional conversations
  • Be a committed listener (hearing the unsaid)
  • Provide feedback and coaching
  • Clarify expectations without assumptions
  • Avoid rescuing or enabling
  • Focus on performance outcomes, not personality
  • Reinforce that remote work is still work and deliverables matter
  • Expect integrity and adherence to policies while on the company clock

Conducting an Intentional and Productive Conversation

A strong conversation is direct, supportive, and grounded in facts and is not based on assumptions.

  • Clarify Expectations — timelines, deliverables, communication standards
  • Identify Barriers — ask direct, professional questions about what’s getting in the way of their performance. Listen. Ask open-ended questions.
  • Document Agreements — written follow‑ups, timelines, and commitments must be followed-through for effectiveness

Be supportive but firm in expectations. While some flexibility may be required (e.g., work hours), there are times being flexible will not provide the change required (e.g., poor job fit).

These conversations set the foundation for accountability. But their effectiveness depends on you, the leader, to follow-up and follow-through on a consistent basis and hold the employee accountable for their results.

Create a Realistic Action Plan

Entrepreneurial leaders help employees succeed, but do not lower standards.

  • Adjust workload temporarily if appropriate
  • Set short‑term checkpoints
  • Encourage boundaries at home or hiring help (e.g., a caregiver)
  • Understand the company policies and benefit packages to assist employee in finding resources
  • Have employee talk with HR about external community support groups that are available

The plan must be measurable, time‑bound, and documented.

When Performance Still Doesn’t Improve

If the employee continues to struggle:

  • Revisit expectations and commitments
  • Determine whether the role is a good job fit for the employee to succeed
  • Consider schedule, responsibilities, or environment changes
  • Protect team performance, customer commitments, and business outcomes
  • Talk with HR and legal counsel to determine what you next steps are

Entrepreneurial leaders act decisively. Delaying action only increases risk.

Leadership Requires Courage and Clarity

Remote work doesn’t eliminate leadership responsibilities. It intensifies them. Leaders who address issues early prevent bigger problems later. Supporting employees while holding them accountable builds trust, results, and long‑term success.

Entrepreneurial leadership is about workability and creating conditions where people can succeed and where the business can thrive while their team members work remotely.

©Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 33 years of experience activating greatness in leaders and companies. She delivers practical coaching and solutions that elevate performance today, build legacies that stand the test of time, and support people in empowering themselves to lead with clarity and impact.

When Your Ego Causes You to Lose Credibility

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Leaders who make reactive decisions when blocking someone, withholding support, and escalating conflict will lose credibility. These costly types of actions and decisions occur because their ego felt threatened. These ego‑driven reactions can stall initiatives, derail team performance, and limit future opportunities for leaders.

When your ego hijacks judgment and common sense, costing you credibility and future opportunities, it’s important to pivot immediately and regain trust without over explaining or defending.

What happens when your ego gets in the way with people or situations?

When you attempt to influence decisions that aren’t yours (e.g., promotions, assignments, board choices, political dynamics, strategy), it damages your reputation. Especially if others feel you are wrong, lack enough of the right information, or you rely on your feelings and disregard facts. It’s important to develop the discipline of respecting boundaries and being aware of company politics.

If someone has asked for help, ask questions instead of stating opinions that often overlook important details.

  • Start by having the person briefly explain the concern.
  • Ask open-ended questions.
  • Be a committed listener (listening without comment and staying focused on the speaker) and allow the person to find their own answers.
  • Acknowledge the work they’ve done in the conversation.

What do you do when you’ve been wrong about someone?

There will be times when your ego blocked a person and you declared them to be incompetent, ineffective, or in the wrong job (poor job fit). But the truth is, they are exceptional.

It’s important to:

  • Acknowledge misjudgment without losing face
  • Rebuild a working relationship
  • Avoid doubling down on your reasons why to justify your mistake
  • Turn up your humbleness and apologize

How do you stay professional when you believe someone made the wrong decision?

Leaders often behave poorly when they feel overlooked, undervalued, or not heard. Especially if someone else made what you believe is a bad decision (e.g., hiring, work project, handling a client issue). This poor EI (emotional intelligence) will come back to bite you if you insist you are right and they are wrong.

Instead:

  • Use emotional detachment and talk with your executive coach to develop this all-important skill
  • Avoid self-sabotage by doing what is needed and remaining an important part of the team
  • Maintain composure under pressure when there are problems (and there will be) – avoid “I told you so” actions or comments
  • Offer appropriate ideas or suggestions when asked
  • Do not manipulate the decision to reflect what you believe is the only “right” way
  • By following the above points, your leadership and professionalism will be recognized … if you stay humble

How do you handle leadership blind spots when your ego is triggered due to stress?

When you feel threatened, career-limiting derailers will surface and you will default to manipulation, defensiveness, avoidance, and overconfidence (traits of an unhealthy ego). It’s time to hire an executive coach and use the PXT Select® assessment to learn why and how to develop your leadership humbleness.

  • Stay silent until you’ve worked with your executive coach, industry mentor, and therapist (when needed) or you risk damaging long-term credibility
  • Allow real data from the PXT Select® to reveal blind spots and learn from them
  • Be coachable and trainable – you can always learn new skills and how to use them effectively
  • Apologize as needed, journal your upsets or frustrations (do NOT share), and don’t allow your annoyance (aka your ego) with others to run the show

As a leader, current and future, developing a healthy ego is required when making decisions or being at the effect of decisions others make. Entrepreneurial leaders who practice humility make better strategic choices, foster innovation, and strengthen team alignment … key drivers for long-term success.

©Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 33 years of experience activating greatness in leaders and companies. She delivers practical coaching and solutions that elevate performance today, build legacies that stand the test of time, and support people in empowering themselves to lead with clarity and impact.

Do You Work for a Boss Who Gets Nervous When You Succeed?

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Everyone has a moment of insecurity when someone else shines. But confident, competent legacy leaders congratulate their people, elevate them, and leverage success to grow the business. They don’t allow their insecurities or fears to get in the way of supporting their team members.

If your boss gets nervous when you and others succeed, you have a leadership liability inside your company. And it will cost you and your team in innovation, retention, and revenue. It’s time to learn how to work with them before moving on in your career.

When Leaders Fear Employee Success

A woman completed a tough project and was congratulated by co-workers, customers, and her boss’s boss! But her direct boss refused to say, “congrats.” Instead, the boss pointed out the weaknesses, mistakes, and other areas that were not perfect. This type of boss fears you surpassing them.

Why Bosses Fear Others’ Success

  • Paranoia or lack of trust due to previous bad decisions
  • Inability to create a solution to a problem
  • Incompetence due to poor job fit
  • Poor working relationships
  • Needing the “win” to keep their job and feed their ego
  • Lack of discernment
  • Relying on “how it’s always been done”
  • Fear of looking bad if the idea or employee fails

These fears create psychological safety issues. When bosses take credit, withhold information, or avoid honest conversations, trust evaporates and the team, customers, and company pay the price.

Your Legacy Requires Savvy, Moxie, and Guts

Your legacy isn’t built by waiting for a better boss. It’s built by learning how to work with imperfect bosses, especially when they are uncomfortable with your success. Legacy leaders use these opportunities to strengthen their influence, build resilience, and demonstrate strategic maturity.

Josh learned how to work with his fearful boss, Sam. After an intentional conversation, Josh became a confident go-to person to work with Sam, and Sam appreciated Josh’s efforts. Several months later, the owner of the company called Josh: “I hear you’re doing amazing work. When you’re ready, I’d like to make you president of one of my companies.” All because Josh learned how to work with a boss who lacked good people skills.

Your ability to navigate fear — yours or someone else’s — determines your legacy.

Own Your Leadership First

Know why you’re in the role. Identify the skills, experience, or business goals that make staying worthwhile for now. Use your “brags” to build confidence and credibility for yourself and your team.

Have intentional conversations. Share accomplishments, learn your team’s individual goals, and listen more than talk. This is how you build trust and reduce your boss’s fear-based reactions.

Do the work. Conversations mean nothing without action. Make the company, team, and customers look good consistently. This means learning to work without expecting praise or applause from your boss.

Set aside your ego. Yes, you have an ego too. Find other ways to acknowledge your own successes, and offer sincere congrats to your team members. Your legacy expands when you consistently elevate your team, even when your boss cannot do the same.

Protect Your Legacy

Keep people apprised. Document progress, interactions, and decisions. This protects you and strengthens your brand. If appropriate, cc the boss’s boss or board members. Keep copies on a personal device and use for performance reviews, individually and as a team.

Don’t gossip. Gossip destroys your credibility when discussing a bad boss, and erodes your leadership brand. It also signals your own insecurity, which is the opposite of the legacy you wish to build.

Stay detached. Proving you’re right about a bad boss is a losing game. They are in the position for a reason, usually political. Detachment keeps you strategic and protects long-term opportunities.

Use Tools That Strengthen Your Leadership

Hire an executive coach. A coach provides objectivity, clarity, and a neutral sounding board so you don’t get pulled into (or stay in) fear-based dynamics.

Take a PXT Select®. A PXT Select Leadership assessment reveals your strengths, blind spots, and communication style and how you interact with others, especially your boss. Objective insights help you adjust, reduce friction, and stay effective regardless of others’ fears.

Note: Josh’s success came from having both: an executive coach and a PXT Select assessment.

Keep Your Options Open

Opportunities will arise to restructure, reassign, or upgrade your role in the company. Don’t jump too quickly. Use discernment to avoid repeating the same pattern of working for another insecure boss.

Self-Care Matters

Your body will tell you when you need time away due to the stress (yes, it’s there – even for Type As). Listen and honor it. Remember, ignoring stress will eventually lead to poor decisions, not trusting yourself, overlooking important details, and poor health.

Your Legacy Is Bigger Than Your Fear

When you work for a boss who fears congratulating you and your team, don’t let it define your future or your legacy. Your ability to stay strategic, courageous, and focused does, and so does your ability to work with this boss.

Moving forward in your career, you will run into others who exhibit the same limiting behaviors and attitudes. Steer clear, and when you cannot, learn how to work well with them. It is a huge leadership advantage for your career and future.

When you combine savvy decision making, moxie in how you show up, and the guts to keep going, you become the legacy leader your company is appreciates having (e.g., bonuses, perks, promotions).

©Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a legacy‑driven Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author. For over 33 years, she has empowered thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve sustainable success through strategic hiring, values‑based coaching, and intentional leadership development. Her work blends clarity, accountability, and soulful impact—activating performance and purpose at every level.

Be a Leader Who Congratulates Others

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Leaders and bosses will rarely admit it — but many get nervous or feel fearful or feel threatened when a team member succeeds. If that’s you, it’s time to reassess why you’re in a leadership role.

Sadly, everyone has had to work with a boss or leader who fears others’ success. When that carries over into their inability to congratulate their team and team members, a change must happen or you will lose top talent, customers, results, and revenues.

Entrepreneurial leaders understand that acknowledging others is not simply “being nice”—it’s a strategic business advantage that accelerates innovation, strengthens loyalty, and expands the company’s capacity to win.

When leaders fear their employees succeeding, they attempt to hide their insecurities by criticizing and nitpicking results, claiming it’s to help them improve. Others try to be extra nice to cover up their true feelings but lack a genuine tone. None of these approaches are effective. You will still be a leader who doesn’t want others to succeed and they respond accordingly (e.g., lack of initiative, poor solutions, mediocrity).

A woman had a great idea for a client. As requested by her boss, she submitted the idea in writing but didn’t hear anything back. A week later she learned her idea had been implemented and the client was pleased. But the client gave all the credit to her “wonderful boss.” When she asked her boss about it, the boss shrugged. “Well … it’s done. Maybe next time. Ok?” (This diminishing of another’s idea will eventually backfire. In this case, the client learned the truth and requested a different project team lead, saying. “We need to be able to trust the whole team working on our important project.”)

Successful leaders have learned to set aside any fears of others’ success. They know there is plenty of applause to go around.

Why Leaders Fear Others’ Success

  • Paranoia or lack of trust due to previous bad decisions
  • Inability to create solutions for a problem
  • Lack of confidence and self-esteem
  • No acknowledgement of their successes from bosses or boards
  • Incompetence due to poor job fit
  • Needing the “win” to feel good about themselves, especially after a recent failure

As a leader, if your goal is to keep your employees from leaving or surpassing you in the company, you need to work with a coach or mental health professional to create a workplace culture of psychological safety and trust.

Remember, psychological safety erodes quickly when leaders refuse to give credit and congratulate their teams. In turn, the teams withhold information, allow for mediocrity, and withdraw from contributing. You, the team, and customers all pay the price.

Have the Confidence to Encourage Others to Succeed

Leadership is built on you becoming a great boss. Your job is to provide the resources and opportunities for your employees and teams to grow and excel. Holding someone back or diminishing their ideas and work quality due to your fears of their successes and wins does not work. Remember, their work effort reflects back on you!

Own Your Leadership First

Be clear about your responsibilities. As the boss, your primary job is to produce intended results for the company and your customers. This requires a great team, and a team that is engaged in their work. Your lack of acknowledgement will cause the team to falter, make mistakes, and leave (along with your customers).

Have intentional conversations. Hold weekly meetings that make a positive difference. Work with your executive coach to learn meeting protocol and team dynamics. Share the goals, progress made, and learning moments when mistakes have occurred. Don’t forget to acknowledge and congratulate successes.

Protect Your Leadership Legacy

Keep your boss apprised. Document progress of a project or situation. This allows your boss and board to be informed and aware of what is happening on the team. Be sure to provide credit individually and for the team due to their accomplishments, wins, and solving tough challenges.

Acknowledgement. Use please and thank you. Include individual praise and team congrats too. Host a monthly (or more frequently) “brag fest.” This allows team members to share accomplishments that you and others are unaware of or have overlooked. SEE “Get Your Brag On!” for how to do it.

Use Tools That Strengthen Your Leadership

Hire an executive coach. A coach helps you navigate the politics, stay focused on results, and avoid reacting negatively to others successes. The right coach ensures you are offering well-deserved acknowledgement to yourself and others.

Take a PXT Select®. A PXT Select assessment provides real leadership data you need to understand your strengths, blind spots, and communication style and how to effectively interact with your team. When you (and your team) have objective insights, you can adjust your approach, reduce friction, and position yourself as the person who gets things done regardless of your own fears of others’ success. Building confidence is key to building a strong team.

Your Team Relies on Your Leadership

Great leaders are fearless in acknowledging and congratulating their team and team members, and produce amazing results, improve retention, and increase revenues.

What do you need to do to become a great leader?

©Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 33 years of experience activating greatness in leaders and companies. She delivers practical coaching and solutions that elevate performance today, build legacies that stand the test of time, and support people in empowering themselves to lead with clarity and impact.

Why We Get Stopped (And How to Finally Move Forward)

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The core truth is simple and uncomfortable: we don’t get stopped because of our skills, talents, or interests. We get stopped because we fail to do the work. The difference between people who achieve meaningful results and those who wish they had is not brilliance, luck, or inspiration. It’s action … taking consistent, imperfect, forward‑moving action.

What Actually Stops Us 

  • The Remy Effect. Outwardly we talk the talk; inwardly we fear taking the required actions. When fears of not being enough, not having enough, or being judged appear, remember: the fear shows up because you’re moving forward.
  • Waiting for permission. You don’t need permission to begin, proceed, or excel.
  • “I don’t have everything I need.” You won’t. Start anyway. In writing a book, characters and plots emerge after you begin. In business, clarity comes after the first step.
  • Shiny objects. New ideas, distractions, and “opportunities” will appear. If they don’t fit your intention, move on. They are major deterrents to completion.
  • Misleading expectations. The process rarely looks like you think it should, especially when you’re “almost there.” Even if you’ve done something similar before, internal and external changes happen. Be flexible without ditching or rewriting the goal and intention. Keep going.
  • Self-Worth. If you fear failure or making a mistake, you’re making it mean too much about you. Remember, there is value in learning what doesn’t work and how to keep moving forward. 

Common Deterrents We Misinterpret as “Good Reasons”

  • Everyone has the same 24/7. It’s not time; it’s the choices we make.
  • Money reflects your history, environment, and beliefs. You’ve survived challenges before and you’re still here. Find a committed listener. Share your story twice, then stop. Don’t get stuck inside of it. Now, create the plan out loud, write it down, and immediately take one action step.
  • Life challenges occur. And, they will. When wanting to write a book, deal with a child on drugs, navigate career uncertainty, handle a difficult customer or team … none of these will resolve themselves without taking the right actions. Hire, and listen to, the right therapist, advisor, or expert. Create a plan. Follow it. Expect challenges and work through them one at a time.
  • The “Purpose Trap.” Many people believe they must find their “purpose” before acting. This is a trap. “Purpose” emerges from doing, not from comparing your journey to others’ successes.

 Doing the Work: The Real Differentiator

People who succeed aren’t necessarily more talented. They simply do the work:

  • They stay in action. When stopped, they learn why and move forward.
  • They take small steps. One step at a time keeps momentum alive.
  • They practice self‑care. Your health and wellbeing are your wealth.
  • They keep moving even when the path feels messy or unclear. You’ve never been this way before—be adventurous and bold.
  • They value essential support: coach + team. Together, they create momentum you cannot generate alone.
  • Keeps you out of your own way, stops self‑sabotage, and helps you stay accountable.
  • Moves the project forward. If team members lack skills or willingness, let them go. Wrong team members stall progress more than any external obstacle.
  • Every pursuit requires:
  • A clear goal. A specific outcome you commit to achieving with purpose.
  • A daily intention. A focused priority guiding your choices and energy today.
  • Consistent movement. Small, steady actions that maintain momentum toward your goal.

Not perfection. Not certainty. Consistent movement.

The Hardest Truth

Life isn’t stopping you. You are stopping yourself.

When you rely on your inner emotional and mental voices, they whisper doubt, fear, comparison, or hesitation. These must be tamed:

  • Acknowledge the voice.
  • Reframe the message.
  • Move forward anyway.

This is how intuition becomes your guide, and feelings stop running the show. 

An Example 

A woman insisted on being in charge of everything, and her results were always so‑so because she never learned to work with and through others. This is exactly how many people get stopped: fear, uncertainty, shiny distractions, and rigid expectations prevent forward movement. Once she shifted her mindset, trusted collaboration, and stayed in action, her outcomes improved significantly … showing that life isn’t stopping you; you stop yourself when you don’t consistently move forward.

Takeaway

You don’t need more talent, more skill, or more inspiration.

  • You need to begin.
  • You need to continue.
  • You need to stay in action.
  • Create your goal and your intention.
  • Hire an executive coach and use tools like PXT Select® to stay objective and on track.
  • Select your team.
  • Now, take action.

© Jeannette Seibly 2026 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a legacy‑driven Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author. For over 33 years, she has empowered thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve sustainable success through strategic hiring, values‑based coaching, and intentional leadership development. Her work blends clarity, accountability, and soulful impact—activating performance and purpose at every level.